Automatically-adjustable stool



March 16 1926. 1,576,881

c. VlTEK AUTOMATICALLY ADJUSTABLE STOOL Filed March 5, 1924 IN VEN TOR.m (/4144,

A TTORNEYS.

raised position.

Patented Mar. 16, 1926.

UNITED STATES QHABLES VITEK, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

AUTOMATICALLY-ADJUSTABLE STOOL.

application filed March 5,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES VITEK, a citizen of the Republic ofCzechoslovakia, residing at Omaha, in the county of Douglas and State ofNebraska, have invented new and useful Improvements in AutomaticallysAdjustable Stools, of which the following is a specification. I

This invention relates to improvements 1n adjustable stools and hasparticular reference to retaining means for automatically, looking orretaimng the stool 1n the desired It is one of the objects of thisinvention, therefore, to provide an automatically locking retainer forthe stool su port.

Another object is to provi e a locking retainer which utilizesfrictional means for supporting the stool in elevated position.

A still further object contemplates the provision of an arrangement onthe stool support to permit the release of same from the looking orretaining means when the stool is raised to its uppermost position.

With these and other objectsin view, my invention consists in the novelcombination and construction of the parts and members described in thefollowing specifications shown in one embodiment in the accompany:ingdr'awing, and particularly pointed out 1n the appended claims.

Referrin to the illustrations in which like reference 0 aractersindicate like or corresponding parts, Figure 1 is a side elevation of astool embodying my invention and Figure 2 a modified stool. having aplurality of supporting legs. Figure 3 1s an enlarged detail showing invertlcal section my unproved automatically, locking retainer for thestool support. 'Flgure 4 is a cross section gure 3 showing theball-bearings which act as a wedge for the stool support in retainingposition. Figure 5 is a vertical section of the retaining means .ininverted position and showing my 1mproved means for releasing the stoolsu port when raised to its uppermost elevate position.

Referring to the drawingsz 10 indicates g the stool seat which is rigily connected to the support 12 by means of an angle iron frame 11 andscrews 13. The support 12 is provided with a nut 12 which 1s countersunkin the bottom of the seat 10'.

The support 12 is preferably made of a solid bar of round cross sectionand termi- 1924. serial No. 697,055.

nates in a portion 12 of decreased diameter or cross section, whichportion 12 is'located near the lower end thereof. The end 12 is groovedat 12 for the spring stop collar 14.

It is obvious that the stool may be made with a single pedestal leg 15mounted on the base 16, as shown in Figure 1 or thestool maybe made witha lurality of legs 15-as shown in Figure 2. ln either case, theleg 15comprises a hollow or tubular member of an internal diameter slightlygreater than the support 12.

In the construction shown in Figure 2, the legs 15 are su ported nearthe bottom by lateral struts 1 of L cross section through which the legsextend and to which they are welded or secured in any other suitablemanner. The upper struts 17 and upper ends of the legs are held togetherby the screw connection 17 within the retainer 18.

The retainer 18 comprises a comparatively Short tubular member, thelower end. of which is threaded at 18 to receive the threadedend of thetubular legs 15. A partition wall 18 separates the, lower threadedchamber 18 from the upper chamber 18. The face of wall in the chamber 18converges gradually from the opening at the top toward the bottom at thepartition wall 18 The'top of the chamber 18 is closed with a disk 19which, like the wall 18 is provided with a central opening for passageof the support 12. The disk 19 is supported on a ledge 18 in the chamberand the rim 18 is flanged over it to revent its withdrawal. Within thecham r 18, I'provide a plurality of ball bearings 20 whichby theircontact with the face of the support 12 and the sloping face of theinner .wall of the chamber 18 act as a fractional wedge and thus supportthe member 12. It is now apparent that the seat 10 and its support 12can readily be raised, as in raising the ball bearings 20 are alsoraised into the enlarged porturned up with the seat on/the floor, the

legs up. A slight pull on the legs then will is ease the lockingengagement of the ball bearmgs 20 which will fall into the enlargedportion of the chamber 18 as clearly shpwn in Figure 5. A furtherpressure on the legs a will telescope the supports 12 within the t willbe noted that when the stool is inverted, it is necessary to slightlypull upwardly on the legs to release the ball bearing wedge, but if thestool were made without the portion 12 of decreased diameter it wouldnot be possible to so release the ball bearings had the stool beenelevated to its extreme raised elevation. It is now apparout, whenviewed in Fig. 5, that the portion 12 of decreased diameter provides aplay or additional room for the ball bearings 20 and so permits thatdrop in the chamber 18 when the stool is raised to the extreme elemtion.

It is also apparent that the support 12 could be of square section androllers could be substituted for the balls 20 without departing from thespirit of my invention.

I claim:

1.' In an adjustable stool having a seat and a support cylindrical incross-section for said seat, a retainer comp-rising a tubular casinghaving a chamber whose interior walls converge toward the bottomthereof, said support being slidably mounted in said casing, and aplurality of free rolling bearings in said chamber engaging said wallsand adapted to freely move abOut and longitudinally of said support andwedge between said support and walls of the chamber to frictionallyretain said support and seat, said retainer being arranged to releasesaid support by inverting the stool to permit said bearings to dropwithin said casings.

2. In an adjustable stool having aseat and a support cylindrical incross-section for said seat and having a reduced section at its lowerend, a retainer comprisin a tubular casing having the interior chain rthereof converging toward the bottom of the casing, said support beingslidably mounted in said casing, and a plurality of free rollingbearings in said chamber adapted to move about and longitudinally ofsaid support and wedge between said support and casing, and saidretainer being arranged to release said support by inverting the stoolto permit said bearings to drop within said casing and permit saidroller bearings to be released by the reduced section at the lower endof the support when said seat and support are at their extreme upperadjusted positions.

3. An adjustable stool comprising a seat, a plurality of supportscylindrical in crosssection for said seat, tubular members slidablyembracing said supports, and locking means for automatically lockingsaid supports and seat at desired elevations in said tubular memberscomprising a retainer having a chamber whose interior walls convergetowards the bottom thereof for each tubular member and connected withsame, and a pluiality of free ball bearings in each of said chambersadapted to move about and longitudinally of said supports and wedgebetween said supports and walls of the chambers to frictionally retainsaid seat and supports, said ball bearings adapted to release saidsupports by inverting the position of the stoo In witness whereof Iafiix my signature.

CHARLES VITEK.

